#beardofthemonth

September 29, 2016

This is Ben. If it’s not plainly obvious, he’s a millennial…and a hipster. And I think it’s great. I’m neither of those. I’m a GenXer. Like millennials, the older generation shook their heads and wrung their hands at the thought of us being responsible for the future of humanity. We listened to grunge music. Skateboards were the transportation de jour. We wore flannel…even in the summer. To the older, we personified the sign of the end times. Today, I have a good job, three kids, and I’m contributing to society in a number of ways. Take that old man shaking your fist at me from your front yard!

People are confused and a little frightened of millennials too. They don’t know what motivates them. And they don’t know how to market and sell to them. I’m not going to launch into a full scale article on this. You can google all you can handle on the subject.

But I will say that I love this new generation.  They got a great sense of style. They seem to be influencing people to stop and see the world differently. They embody a certain creativity and sense of adventure. There are the negative characteristics too but all generations have their faults, right?

So enjoy, these pictures of my friend Ben. And congratulations to him for being chosen as the OCTOBER 2016 Beard of the Month. Don’t be jealous just because he’s handsome, can grow a ridiculous and doesn’t care if you like it.

August 30, 2016

 This is my friend Cory. I’ve known him for a long time. We work in the same industry. There have been several people I’ve worked with that have also become a close friend. He’s one of them. We don't get together often enough. But we always have conversations that are either thought provoking or cause my ribs to hurt from laughing. Trey gets some of the credit for that.

 I’m grateful that Cory was an early adopter of my blog. He was also the February 2016 Beard of the Month. If you are a “high-C” on the DISC profile, then you are yelling out “that’s not a beard!” I understand. I’m a high C too. But let me offer this response. First, this is Beard of the Month on a blog. There are few things in life that are less consequential than this. Second, and most important, how great are these mustaches?! They are glorious and more than worthy to be exceptions to the rule (that doesn’t actually exist).

 Congratulations, Cory, for being the first two-time Beard of the Month. You deserve it for your unmatched commitment and courage in the area of facial hair growth. I should post the picture of you with the goatee that makes you look like Teddy KGB from the terrific 1998 film Rounders starring Matt Damon, Edward Norton, and John Malkovich. But that would just be sand bagging. You’re a true hero.

 Godspeed my friend.

 “Nyet! Nyet! No More! No! Not tonight!” – Teddy KGB

The Mario

Handlebar with hangers

August 2, 2016

 This is my friend David. I met David this past spring when we both attended Dave Ramsey’s Financial Coach Master Training. David lives in Oklahoma with his wife and adorable daughter. I wish he and I lived in the same place. He’s definitely I guy I’d like to have in my regular orbit.

 David is hilarious. He’s also kind, caring and loves to serve others. That’s at least part of the reason he wanted to be a financial coach. I can get you in touch with him if you live in Oklahoma and need help sorting out your financial challenges. He can also show you how to accumulate wealth without a huge income. Sounds pretty compelling doesn’t it?

June 28, 2016

This is my friend Ty. He’s cooler than me. This picture reveals the obvious reasons. He can grow a ridiculous beard. I’m more like the hairless cat from the Austin Powers movies. His clothes are also compelling evidence in the argument.  His wife is a photographer. She’s also cool. Their stories are different but they are a great match.

 Ty is from Oklahoma. Seriously. You expect him to be from Austin, San Francisco, Portland, or Brooklyn. I like learning that interesting people are from unexpected and ordinary places.  He’s artistic and has a background in music production. He’s currently teaching as he tries to integrate himself into the Dallas music scene. I hope it happens soon. Dallas needs him.

 There is too much ordinary in the world. So, I’m grateful there are people like Ty to add some color to the horizon. On top of that, he’s just a great guy. And now he’s the July 2016 Beard of the Month. Add that to your resume and you can get in almost any door.

This one is my favorite. It has a Papa Smurf or Travelocity Gnome vibe to it.

And then there is this...

May 31, 2016

READING TIME: 2.32 MINUTES

(click the title and scroll to comment)

I posted my last article on February 9th. If you’re a skilled mathematician you know that was almost four months ago. I launched the blog about a month before that. That means I blogged for one month and then took four months off. Most experts will tell you long unexplained absences aren’t a good idea if you want to build a following.

So if you were an early adopter of this blog then I owe you an apology.

The reason I disappeared is simple. I’ll bet you can relate too. Life happened. Work got busy. I traveled more than usual. My wife and children wanted attention. I got sick a couple times. You know, the usual stuff.

Now I’m back…sort of. I do have one article I wrote recently on an airplane. It will post later this week or early next. I’ve learned that generating compelling content takes a lot of time. It’s enjoyable but if I don’t have time to do it, that’s a fundamental problem if I’m going to maintain a blog. The real tragedy is that I have a giant list of things I want to write about. For example:

Why do opposites attract?

How many times is a single dollar taxed?

Private sector alternatives to government entitlement programs

Why the Dallas Cowboys are hopeless

Part Two of the 13 best songs you’ve never heard

Tips for a successful marriage

The event that caused me to blog

Did you know Texas almost got divided into multiple states?

Simple and free ways to entertain your toddler

Awesome TV shows you don’t know about

Is Sports Radio 1310/96.7 a house of cards?

And many, many more…

And this doesn’t include the NHL/NBA postseasons and the presidential campaign. I have a list of over 30 ideas. That’s more than enough to get me to the end of the year…if I had time to write.

So I present to you…

The GravityBeard Podcast

I’ve come up with an idea that will either solve the problem or complicate things more than ever. I’m going to launch the GravityBeard Podcast. I bought a microphone, signed up with a hosting service, downloaded recording software, set up a Skype account, and watched YouTube video tutorials. I even tested everything out and confirmed it works. Then I realized if I was going to create a podcast I better listen to a few. I downloaded a bunch and have been listening the last few days.

Of course now I have to write a blog post about my favorite podcasts…just kidding. No I’m not, it’s a good idea.

The theory is that it will be easier to generate content if I’m doing both. And I have a list of people who have told me they want to take part in the podcast. So all I have to do is enlist one or more of them every week or two. Then we choose a topic, turn on the mike and knock it out. That’s the plan. I’m excited about it. We will see how it goes.

So now onto more important things…

The June Beard of the Month

When I posted the first BOM, I solicited submissions for others. I got a couple. Then I got this one. And it’s fantastic. It boasts both a great beard AND mustache. Since then, I’ve had to ask people who have great beards if I could take their picture. You might be thinking, “That sounds awkward” and you would be right. But they were good sports and I got a couple good candidates. I’ll use those later this year. I’m particularly excited about the one I have for December. But until then I think you will enjoy the June 2016 Beard of the Month.

Thanks again for reading my blog. I hope you enjoy the podcast too…whenever that happens.